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On Wednesday (February 27) morning, Stone Temple Pilots announced they had “terminated” frontman Scott Weiland, ending a relationship that spawned dozens of hits and spanned more than two decades.

The band’s statement was as shocking as it was brief — just 11 words in total — and though a rep for STP told MTV News that more information on the split would be forthcoming, so far, there’s been no updates from the band.

But, hours after news of his firing first hit, Weiland himself has weighed in … and, from the sound of things, his firing came as surprise.

“I learned of my supposed ‘termination’ from Stone Temple Pilots this morning by reading about it in the press,” Weiland said in a statement. “Not sure how I can be ‘terminated’ from a band that I founded, fronted and co-wrote many of its biggest hits, but that’s something for the lawyers to figure out. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing all of my fans on my solo tour which starts this Friday.”

Ah yes, that solo tour. Like Weiland said, it starts Friday in Flint, Michigan, and, as he recently told SPIN, he intends on performing songs from Stone Temple Pilots’ first two albums, Core and Purple at all dates (he’s even dubbed the jaunt “Purple at the Core”).

In a separate interview with Rolling Stone, Weiland downplayed former Velvet Revolver bandmate Slash’s claims that he’d been “fired” from Stone Temple Pilots, telling the mag “Slash doesn’t know anything about STP. We’re talking right now about when we want to tour next.”

He also downplayed rumours of any friction in the band, saying “STP has not broken up. I haven’t quit. I haven’t been fired.”

Emails to Stone Temple Pilots’ rep seeking comment on the matter were not responded to by press time.

What do you think of the STP/Scott Weiland split? Let us know in the comments below.